News and Views on Social Marketing and Social Change

Top 10 Papers on Social Marketing for 2011

It's that time of year for retrospectives on the state of whatever. Here we offer our top 10 papers on social marketing published in 2011. Each title has a link to the full article as an html and/or a choice of downloading a free pdf (toll gates are coming down slowly, but surely). They represent a diversity of theory, practice and research from around the globe, and several may get you rethinking your understanding of social marketing in 2012. That might be a good thing - ring in the new year with these!

A description of the world's largest childhood obesity prevention project operating in over 500 communities in six countries. Social marketing is a critical feature in the design and implementation of the project.

Survey of the availability, market share and prices of ACT (the first-line malaria treatment) in six sub-Saharan African countries. This assessment provides information to inform and monitor programs that seek to influence supply and demand of ACT over the next several years.

The specific socialization to exercise that individuals have had through the media, health care, and society has branded exercise as a vehicle that promotes "weight loss," "health benefits," and "disease prevention." This research suggests that it would be strategic to rebrand exercise as a primary method to enhance aspects of daily quality of life.

This paper describes and evaluates 10 years of a nationwide social marketing effort in Cambodia implementing subsidized ACT and rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for malaria. The program includes behavior change communication and the training of private providers as well as the sale and distribution of Malarine, the recommended ACT, and Malacheck, the RDT.

A study to examine ways to increase participation in physical activity programs among economically disadvantaged groups. Although awareness of the benefits are high, the data suggest that there are some key issues relating to increasing recruitment and retention into physical activity sessions that have a greater impact on low-income groups than the general population.

Condom social marketing interventions have advanced and achieved the goals of improving use and making condoms available in the private sector. It is time to manage interventions and influence markets to improve equity and sustainability.

This paper looks at the mythunderstandings of social marketers themselves including definitional issues; the roles of education, law and advocacy in social marketing; and whether the sought behavior change must be voluntary.

An integration of views about social marketing focuses on the core roles of audience benefits; analysis of behavioral determinants, context and consequences; the use of positioning, brand and personality in marketing strategy development; and use of the four elements of the marketing mix to tailor offerings, realign prices, increase access and opportunities, and communicate these in an evolving media environment.